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4.15pm – Sep 10, 2018

'What that might mean?'

A 2014 presentation shows when a customer says they need to consult their partner before taking out the policy, sales agents were told to say: "I'm so glad you see the value in working together.

"I am curious when you say you need to speak to your partner, what that might mean."

Then they are told to resell the benefits to get the customer to make a decision, without consulting their partner.

4.11pm – Sep 10, 2018

Sales agent told to objection handle

An internal training presentation from 2014 shows ClearView sales stuff were told to objection handle a minimum of 3 times.

"If more is necessary then more!" the presentation said.

"The difference between a sales person and a customer service agent is OBJECTION HANDLING

"This is what ill be looking for in every call!"

The presentation went onto include some dubious statistics: "Every time you objection handle you increase your chance of selling by 50%!!!!

"If you objection handle 3x you've increased your chances by 150%".

4.06pm – Sep 10, 2018

Business manager received a warning

The business manager who wrote and circulated the unauthorised script got away with a warning, the commission heard.

"Not much was done. There was a warning and that was about it," he said.

Mr Martin said within ClearView direct there was a "full-on sales culture", without any economic benefits flowing to the business.

"We didn't make money by doing this stuff."

3.57pm – Sep 10, 2018

Unauthorised script

We are told as well as an official script, there was an unauthorised script circulating the direct sales division of ClearView.

It set out three different forms of closing the sale: "is it fair enough" close, the partner close, "I want to read it in black and white" close.

Mr Martin said he was appalled by the existence of these scripts. "The language in it was ... I just found it challenging and odd language."

Is it fair enough close asked customers three questions and if the answers were yes they were asked to take out the insurance. The questions were:

1. Is the dollar figure per week affordable for you?

2. Did you like the benefits?

3. Will your family benefit from this $500,000 if something happens to you?

The partner close read: "I know you're serious about protecting your family. Would your partner object to this wonderful gift you chose to give to them in the event that you are not around to take care of them any more?"

The "I want to read it in black and white" close read: "It takes about 3 to 5 working days to receive all your documents in the mail and we encourage you to take your time going through everything because there's nothing malicious in it that would stop you from having cover with ClearView.

Mr Martin said they outlined the "most classic cornering techniques".

3.51pm – Sep 10, 2018

'It's a curious order'

The script also shows sales staff were asked to "confirm" customers' payment details and use them to deduct their first premium in the next 48 hours, without clearly informing the customers it would be the case.

In fact the sales staff didn't have the customers' payment details and there was nothing to confirm.

"It's a curious order," Mr Martin said.

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3.46pm – Sep 10, 2018

Sales agents on high bonuses

The commission heard sales staff earned about 30 per cent of their income as bonuses, and the rest as base salary.

The commission a sales agent could achieve was also uncapped.

Mr Martin admitted this was not a desirable feature of the commission model, given the nature of the business.

3.46pm – Sep 10, 2018

'Build trust and need'

We are now focusing on ClearView's sales culture in its direct insurance sales arm.

An internal script for selling Bupa injury cash insurance reads: "Spend four to five minutes to build trust and need".

It also advises agents to talk about what was important to the customer, whether it be financial, children, partner, protection et cetera before the close of the call.

3.32pm – Sep 10, 2018

$8000 a fortnight bonus

The commission heard if ClearView sales agents met 250 per cent of their target, they could be awarded a $8000 over a fortnight. Agents who met 100 per cent of their target would be awarded $600 to $850 a fortnight.

The $8000 bonus was reduced to $5015 a fortnight in 2014.

This system was replaced in 2016 to ensure bonuses are only awarded where sales staff met certain quality assurance ratings - initially they had to meet a 70 per cent target but later this was reduced to 60 per cent.